ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

ROMANS #9

From the beginning of his letter to the Romans, Paul has pointed out the impossibility of anyone, either Gentile or Jew, being accepted by God on the basis of law. Rather than provide a means of acceptance and approval by God, God’s law actually identifies and exposes our guilt and our condemnation:

‘There is no one righteous, not even one … there is no one who does good, not even one …Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin’ – Romans 3:10, 12, 20.

‘…through the commandment sin…’ becomes ‘utterly sinful’ – Romans 7:13.

And, as the writer to the Hebrews says: ‘the law made nothing perfect’ – Hebrews 7:19.

In Romans 8:1 – 3, Paul makes a thoroughly reassuring statement about people who are ‘in Christ Jesus’, that is, those who have come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ through the regenerating ministry of the Holy Spirit:

‘Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering…’

It was not that something was wrong with the law - ‘The law is holy, righteous and good … the law is spiritual’ – Romans 7:12, 14. The difficulty, the impossibility of our being acquitted by God’s law, was because there was something wrong with us. The law could not obtain our acquittal. The law could not relieve us of the just condemnation incurred by our failure to keep it. Because we are guilty.

But, and here is God’s saving grace, ‘what the law was powerless to do … God did’, and that is why ‘there is now no condemnation.’

What was it that God did that removes us forever from the just condemnation imposed by his law?

He sent ‘his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, to be a sin offering’ – Romans 8:3.

‘God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement’ – Romans 3:25.

‘God made him who had no sin to be sin for us’ – 2Corinthians 5:21.

‘Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us …’ – Galatians 3:13.

‘Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people’ – Hebrews 9:28.

‘He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree …’ – 1Peter 2:24.

‘Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous’ – 1Peter 3:18.

‘Jesus Christ, the Righteous One … is the atoning sacrifice for our sins’ – 1John 2:1,2.

He has ‘freed us from our sins by his blood’ – Revelation 1:5.

Or, as Isaiah prophesied centuries earlier:

‘He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him …’ – Isaiah 53:5.

Jesus, the Lord of glory, the eternal Son of God, the Righteous One, came to this earth as a human being, lived our human life in perfect obedience to the law’s righteous commands, and, putting himself in our place, took upon himself all of our sin and all of our guilt defined by the law, bearing in himself the full condemnation and punishment that we deserved. All of it. So completely, so comprehensively, so permanently, that there is none left for us to bear. Ever.

Because of this Paul states with absolute certainty: ‘Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus …’ – Romans 8:1. When a person receives Jesus Christ as their Lord, acknowledging that he is indeed who he claimed to be, that person also receives, in Jesus Christ, all that he accomplished by his sin-bearing death:

He bore our guilt: we no longer have to bear it.
He bore our sins: they are no longer held against us.
He suffered the punishment and condemnation we deserved: there is none left for us.

Because he did all of this for us (as our substitute), fulfilling the just requirements of the law and bearing the just penalty of the law for us, God’s law has been satisfied, God’s justice has been upheld (Romans 3:26). The law has been kept by Jesus Christ for us. We, in Christ our substitute, have fully met the righteous requirements of the law – Romans 8:4.

We could not do it and we cannot do it; Jesus did it for us.

Did Paul make this up? Is it just ‘Paul’s idea’ that ‘there is now no condemnation’?

No. It is God’s plan. It is God’s idea – God’s marvellous, incredible purpose – and his sheer gift.

Listen to the words of Jesus:

‘I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life’ – John 5:24.

Let us live every moment with full assurance of this gift, this amazing grace.